Firehouse Fitness

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Staying fit with proper diet and exercise is a daily routine for most firefighters, but is also a basic habit that can be easily overlooked. Physical fitness and healthy eating is a true necessity for any firefighter, no matter the size of the department or the station.

"It's a necessity. It's almost like a job description of something that is required. We actually are required through policy to work out an hour per day to maintain our physical fitness. So it's a good thing to have. Some guys have been working out all of their lives since high school days. They've played football, things like that and have certain regiments," explained Ralph Tecotzky of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District. "The primary cardio is a big part of what we do because of carrying all of that weight inside of a heated structure, in the environment, and weight training."

Aside from being prepared for the physical demands of the job, it is also an effective way to handle everyday stress. Rick Landorf of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District said, "Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, maintaining my physical fitness, helps me deal with stress on a regular basis.  It also helps me kind of power down and relax a little bit more because I feel healthier.  I feel like I am able to exert myself and know how to rehab."

Basic routines in the weight room are done daily to help firefighters keep at their best. "Typically, I come in the morning and usually do cardio and some type of weight lifting. Depends on the day, but for example, today we have been busy this morning,  so what I am going to do is start doing some weight lifting. Today, I'll do chest and triceps. First I'm going to start off with bench press. I'll just go light weight from that. I usually have a spotter in here, that way I don't get hurt. I like to do low weight, high reps," explained Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District's Brent Mielke.

The daily dietary regimen also becomes an essential part of being ready for those long days in the field. Landorf remarked, "Stay away from fast foods, fried foods, stuff like that. It tends to wear you down a little bit, as far as I've noticed. Typically I like to do light foods, salads, watermelon, things like that. It's like we're at home in some sense. We kind of plan our meal out for the day and it's a hot day today so we kind of eat light, eat healthy."

In addition to keeping the body in shape, it is also just as important to ensure that your mental and emotional health also becomes part of your focus. "And of course to have fun and enjoy yourself. Have a good outlook on things. That has a lot to do with what we do too. Besides that, you know the mental aspect of it, and we see a lot of different things and you've got to have fun and keep yourself healthy that way too. It all works together," added Tecotzky.


Author:J.R. Ybarra - Video, R. Marquart - Text